Burien City Council members were expected to establish March 2, 2010 as the effective date of the North Highline South Annexation at their Nov. 23 meeting.

However, City Manager Mike Martin learned late last week that King County plans to sell Puget Sound Park, on the corner of 1st Ave South and Southwest 126 Street. A library or fire station could be buit on the property but Burien wants the park transferred to the city.

Martin recommended that council hold off on setting a date for annexation.

This news was disheartening for council members, especially given the length of time Burien and North Highline residents have waited to consummate the annexation.

Mayor Joan McGilton noted the city's desire to provide North Highline citizens with "some level of certainty."

And Councilwoman Kathy Keene expressed her angst with past dealings with the county that seemed underhanded to her, as well as her hope that the new administration would leave behind its "dictatorial approach."

Regardless of its intent, the county's actions not only delayed annexation for Burien and North Highline residents. It also held up the city council from amending the biennial budget until details around the annexation can be clarified.

In the meantime, council members voted unanimously to establish sufficient need for increasing the property tax levy, but a vote on whether to adopt the levy passed 5-2 with council members Gordon Shaw and Lucy Krakowiak casting "no" votes.

In other business, board members from the Environmental Science Center (ESC) in Seahurst Park were out in force at last week's council meeting.

Completion of the center's $1.3 million remodel was hanging in the balance and on the city council's agenda was discussion of a $175,000 bank loan guaranty on behalf of the ESC.

Unfortunately, the ESC's most promising grant application was denied a few days prior to the council meeting. Phase one of the Seahurst Park Caretaker's Cottage remodel is currently 80 percent complete, but virtually all lending institutions have required that the ESC secure grant money and find a guarantor for the loan.

If the ESC can't fulfill these requirements then it will have to leave the building in its current state.

With that in mind, Jan Glick, executive director of the Environmental Science Center, presented Martin with a new proposal and requested that council members postpone discussions.

Rather than hold the vote, Glick requested that the city continue its discussion to find the "perfect language" that will help protect the city and the center's shared interests.

Council members remain supportive of the ESC, yet they continued pressing Glick and others about their plans for paying back the loan and covering operating costs.

This has been an especially tough year for the ESC, which has left everyone "scratching their heads" about where to go for funding. The silver lining is that the ESC has saved roughly $50,000 in construction costs by renegotiating with its contractor.